Reviews

It boils down to this: what makes The Incredible Hulk incredible? Is it the newly appointed Edward Norton? Or love-interest Liv Tyler? Actually, it loses out on incredible credibility, as Norton's Bruce Banner chooses to flee rather than fight. He's a passive man on the run from the U.S. Army, looking for a cure. His ability to change in to a raging muscle-man is what they want.

TIH covers the origin story in the opening credits (sensible move, we've seen it before with Ang Lee's The Hulk). Banner's brute only surfaces when the army won't leave him be. Leave him alone they do not, as they crunch the middle act in to overdrive. Super- human military nut-job Tim Roth makes a cool central villain (the showdown is glorious). Tyler trades whimsical damsel for astute catalyst. It's our second helping on the lead-up to an Avengers movie. Leterrier's effort is a noble one, as Marvel know what direction they're heading. And did anyone think that Norton would make a fine Banner? I didn't see that one coming.

Robert Downey Jr. is more than fitting as the rich, intelligent, swagger-man Tony Stark. Iron Man is just a suit, so Tony is just a person. He's not a superhero, he's a man thriving in decadence, an entrepreneur with personal gain. His business, Stark Industries, manufactures and sells weapons for war. It takes his kidnapping and subsequent three month imprisonment to realise the wrongs in his life. The suits helps him right his wrongs. Obadiah Stane, work partner and friend of Tony's Father, is against Tony's decisions. With his shiny, bald head, Bridges is a brooding, intimidating figure, taking some of that huge burden laid upon Downey to do so well.

The finest aspect for me (and some may disagree) is director Jon Favreau's spends more time with the man than the suit. It's about the characters, and it pays to see some real heart in a Hollywood blockbuster.

If you appreciated Jon Favreau's Iron Man, then you'll love IM2. There's not much new on show, but once had a taste of what Tony Stark has to offer, you'll know what to expect. Although Robert Downey Jr.'s character thrives as a philanthropist and making the world a better place, unrest broods in the background. Two villains occupy Stark's attention. The maniacal Ivan Vanko (Rourke), who disproves Stark's theory that every country in the world is far behind his technology, and Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), the CEO of a competing weapons/defence manufacturer. The one that sways heads is Scarlet Johansson, the Marvel Universe's much needed heroine (sorry Pepper).

Ultimately IM2 is only as strong as its hero, so pretty damn strong then. Having less superhero smash-ups and more human character development is attractive to comic- book fans and movie lovers.

The Affleck Brothers have collaborated on a deeply political and morally moving story. Ben directs this morbid feast. Private investigators and romantic-partners Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan are on the look-out for a missing girl in Boston. Not much else is known, keeping us at a frustrating arm's length. Casey is an under-rated actor, juggling toughness with anxiety, the rights with wrongs. Gone, Baby, Gone will have us divided, scrupulously contemplating whether Affleck and Monaghan make the right decisions. Both Affleck's have heads spinning and temples aching. Boston has never looked so bleak and uninviting. Avoid watching if you're planning a trip there.

The weird and hugely wonderful Coen Brothers strike again with a movie that's as odd as it is dry. The movie focuses around film studio 'fixer' Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin). Any complication the studio has, he will suppress. Many burdens need tackling on this particular day; a star on their latest blockbuster goes, twin reporters working for different papers harass him, an insufferable actor who lacks talent, and an actress lacking romance. Brolin crosses the tees and dots the eyes, linking all the other film's participants into one erratic comedy. The dialogue flourishes, the farce entertains and the production's a blast to the past, with a few hidden easter eggs to boot.

2016's Dad's Army movie is a big fat homage to the T.V. series, but painstakingly so. Silly, stupid and seriously not funny, Toby Jones' Captain Mainwaring and his team of blithering fools lead the Home Guard, too old or unfit for the front-line. There's a spy in their midst but they'e too loved-up with Catherine Zeta-Jones' provocative journalist to see past their noses, which is infuriating, as it depicts men in a flawed vision. Zeta-Jones looks terrific, Jones, Nighy and Gambon nail their roles but a lack of laughs and a long, drawn-out plot diminishes any interest in the plot. Dad's Army's for the fans, no one else.

Major clichés and minor patriotism aside, London Has Fallen is a good gig. Agent Mike Banning (Butler) protects President Asher (Eckhart) during a state visit to London. All the world's leaders have come to mourn the loss of the Prime Minister. Little do they know that a plot is ripening to kill them all. Banning (present days answer to John McClane) must single-handedly take out the enemy and recuse the captured President. The British allies are made to look stupid (Arrow's Colin Salmon stares frequently at CCTV screens making horrible decisions) as Gerard waves his metaphorical starred spangled banner. Other participants are demoted to staring, gawping or dying. Butler's a one-man army, surrounded by acute action and dazzling set-pieces.

Turn off that logic button in your head, LHF could be worse (the action is better, but the script is poorer).

Green Lantern deserves some credit. It tries, and it tries hard. Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) has his work cut out for him, his Green Lantern's completely outs-muscled by DC favourites Batman and Superman. He's chosen by the universe's greatest to represent Earth, tackling a bulbous headed professor (Peter Sarsgaard), a giant tentacle-looking creature, a romance with fellow pilot Blake Lively and some been- there-done-that daddy issues. This film only dapples in its plot points, but none quite gel. Harder to believe is Hal left on his Lal to save the world. TGL's leader Sinestro (Mark Strong) and his buddies are left out of what could have been an epic showdown.

Some good scenes are amongst the mundane, and the CGI is terrific. Hal Jordan though, promptly suffers, left without an audience to care for him. The Green Lantern is good, but never coming out its superhero origin, romance, showdown-with-villain formula.

Grimsby, for all the cringeworthy-ness in the world, is funny. There's no consistency, some jokes are subtle, others are trivial. Sacha Baron Cohen's work is least of all full of surprises. We know it's going to be crass, misogynistic and outrageous. His latest character Nobby, a hooligan from Grimsby, spends his time in an England football shirt and flip-flops, annoying his straight-laced brother Sebastian (Mark Strong), who counters his stupidity with an uptight seriousness. Sebastian's an Mi5 agent whose latest assignment gets disrupted by Nobby. Grimsby is fun for sure, but tires quickly, the 83 minutes running time feeling longer than it should.

Certain aspects of The Town assimilate Michael Mann's Heat, as do most heist epics since its creation. Luckily enough for director/actor Ben Affleck and all on board there's plenty of new ideas that help the film stand on its own two feet. Heist expert Affleck and his crew, which consists, infiltrate a bank, kidnapping a member of staff in the process. Affleck's oddly infatuated with the kidnapped Rebecca Hall, who's unaware of who her kidnappers were. The Town follows his working life and personal life coming together.

Affleck has scored as both director and actor, creating tension and feud with animosity. Affleck's is humble, the relationship with Hall is cast in romantic misery. Blake Lively's short but bitter cameo as a 'lady of the night', abusing our criminal- come-protagonist, only coming out her shell when FBI agent Jon Hamm muscles in. The person to watch out for is Jeremy Renner as Affleck's harrowing, temperamental partner-in-crime. The scene's he's in are jaw-clenching.

The Town's packs enough heat to keep my interest the whole way through. Well done, Ben Affleck. Gone, Baby, Gone wasn't a fluke.

Secret in Their Eyes is a remake of a well drawn out Argentinian film known as El secreto de sus ojos, so a lack of originality is apparent, but only to those who're aware of it. There's no happy-go-luck tune here; a dark, slow ambiance fits the plot, as ex- FBI agent Ray Kasten (Chiwetel Ejiofor) believes he's found the killer to a close work- friend's daughter. Julia Roberts is sensational as the grieving parent, her expressions more powerful than any dialogue written. SiTE could do with some fining on the editing front, as two timelines (the events after the murder/present day investigation) are a little muddled. As the pieces start to add up (Kidman and Ejiofor's romance however, does not) the endgame is clear but fails to peak when crime/thrillers should. Roberts and Ejiofor unequivocally make SiTE worth watching for their raw performances.

Wow, what happened here? Zoolander was silly, but utterly hilarious. Actor and director Ben Stiller has taken Z2 several steps too far, breaking that suspension of disbelief I like to rant about so much. Hansel and Derek (Wilson and Stiller respectively) are not funny, and it's embarrassing for all when they try. The audience at the Cineworld Crawley screening me and my fiancée attended were just as unimpressed as us, as awkwardness follows

awkwardness. Zoolander's charity building collapses, killing his wife and injuring Hansel. After many years of living like a hermit, he's on the search for his son, and will hopefully revamp he career at the same time. The plot's all over the place, characters that should be funny (Ferrell and Wiig) are left to wither and die. I found myself playing 'spot the cameo' I laughed hard once in the 102 minutes running time, which isn't near enough for what's deemed a comedy.

How to Be Single should be named How Not to Be Single. Not that it's material is bad, because it's very good indeed. However, it may give off the wrong impression to its younger audience. Dakota Johnson makes some very rash decisions, not knowing who she wants to be with, and where she wants to be. Her newest, closest chum Rebel Wilson hits life hard. Her opinion of a good night is ending up in a strangers house, having many sexual encounters and not remembering much of them. Leslie Mann is the older sister to Johnson, an independent woman with a younger love- interest rattling her cage. And then there's the weird Alison Brie, the egotistic Anders Holm, and the family man Marlon Wayans Jr. These are characters picked out fresh from the stereotype's pool. Gags are thrown in, coming mainly from the outrageous Wilson (no surprises there). Apart from its misleading title, manages to make us chuckle, if not smile. Most women (and men) out there will fall for the adorable baby that Mann has to briefly look after in a very early, very memorable scene. It will be hard to contain yourselves.

This origins film in the X-Men universe doesn't stand up well against the others, even compared to The Last Stand, and even with Hugh Jackman kicking ass and looking buff. Wolverine (Jackman) enters an experiment to become even stronger, and defeat his 'sworn brother' Creed (Liev Schreiber), who's on a rampage, killing the mutants that were once close to him. Creed's intentions and motifs aren't plain to see. The mutants that lack blades coming out their knuckles hugely lack character, so comic favourites Gambit (Kirsch) and Deadpool (Reynolds) are ruined. They're pawns to draw us in and take our money. I'd say don't bother with this and go straight to First Class, it's (a lot) better than XMOW by a long shot. And don't get me started on the CGI.

Bryan Singer should have never declined The Last Stand. The reigns went to Brett Ratner, who's taken us on a severe roller-coaster of emotions. Now having watched this more than once, I can safely say I feel warmer towards it, knowing full well what takes place, and to be honest, it's not all that bad. TLS doesn't stand up to X2, but it has big guts with a battle to end all battles. The government are giving mutants a 'choice', by providing an antidote to cure them of their powers. Whilst some mutants accept this bargain, others refuse and unite against this 'threat'. Stuck in the middle are the X-Men, who have Jean Grey to contend with. Her powers are too strong for her to handle. Her alter-ego Phoenix threatens to destroy everything. The Last Stand is both riveting and insanely annoying, because it dare do what other superhero films (or most of films for that matter) do not. The aggravation comes from certain events being brushed swiftly under the carpet. The end show-down more than makes up for the haphazard middle section, so it does not end on such a sour note.

X-Men 2 surpasses X-Men. And sequels never usually do. Bryan Singer has royally upped his game, with a bigger budget, astonishingly in-depth mutants (old and new) and a story thick with layers. Starting fiercely with a mutant attacking the Whitehouse, X2 focuses on Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and his hazy past with military man William Stryker (Brian Cox), who's now against all mutants after the scare in Washington. The mutant/human divide is constantly marred in various ways. The young Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) struggles to maintain a relationship with the familiar faced Rogue (Anna Paquin). He also has to contend with his family discovering his secret. Mystique (Romijn) breaks out Magneto (McKellen) to form an uneasy alliance with the X-Men, and stand against the opposing government and their new anti-mutant laws. All sub- plots are equally distributed. There's a huge amount to process in 134 minutes, with Singer and writing partners David Hayter and Zak Penn creating a superhero sequel others should inspire to be. Now for the grand finale.

Anything Tom Hanks touches, turns to gold. The Terminal is yet another hit in his incredible filmography. Spielberg and Hanks have worked together before (SPR, CMIYC). We're definitely in safe hands. Viktor Navorski (Hanks) is a Russian man stuck in limbo. The terminal at JFK, New York becomes his home for the foreseeable future. He's not allowed to enter the country or go back to Russia, due government collapse. Viktor strives off the basics; collecting trolleys for quarters, gathering intel for a man in love and having to deal with the jealous manager Frank (Stanley Tucci). Viktor and Catherine Zeta-Jones's constant traveller fail to spark any believable affection, as time is cut short between them, and their opposites barely attract. Hanks is a class beyond reach, but a harmless story doesn't grant him space to bloom.

I bet 20th Century Fox are kicking themselves that they didn't take Deadpool off the shelf sooner. Big thanks should go to Ryan Reynolds for sticking with it since X-Men Origins: Wolverine. He reprises the role as Wade Wilson (which was considerably underused in Origins) running free in the new Marvel expedition. Profanity follows even cruder profanity, as Wade, or Deadpool, pulls us into a kamikaze of nonchalance and amusement. Rather than follow the same formula as other Marvels, Deadpool starts near the end, backtracking to parts of Wade's life that eventually brings us up to speed. Without the humour, Deadpool would lightly suffer, and blend in with other superhero movies (origin, save the girl, final showdown). Its comedy outweighs its action, but when the action comes round, it flourishes. Deadpool is at its most beautiful and crass when Wade 'breaks the fourth wall', mocking everything these types of films set out to be. The title credits alone let you know what you're in for. And don't forget that end credit scene!

Zoolander is as silly as it is funny. Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) is a fashion icon who's stupidity matches his Blue Steel looks. His competition, Hansel (Owen Wilson) ends up winning VH1's model of the year award, beating Derek to a fourth time. A small blip in Derek's career throws him off the rails. It's all hilariously ludicrous, and it (almost) pains me to admit, because this comedy is quite an average film made good by its gags and cameos. Zoolander's brain-washed, by the evil guru Mugatu (Will Ferrell), to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Take it with a pinch of salt, there's much to enjoy if the mind's in the right place, with the fashion face-off between Derek and Hansel, and Derek's accidental award pick-up standing out the most.

Now Death Proof is technically Tarantino's 6th feature length, though it's labelled his fifth due to Kill Bill being originally made as one unit. His 2007 excursion is one of two parts also. This time it pays tribute to Grindhouse Cinema (exploitation films), alongside Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror. They overlap in the smallest of ways, and hold many easter eggs to films in their catalogues, the most obvious being Kill Bill. Death Proof follows two sets of girls who're shadowed by a grizzly, despicable stuntman that drives a 1970 Chevy Nova (for the first half of the movie) and a 1969 Dodge Charger (the second half of the movie). One set of girls fair better than the other, trading a conventional lackluster damsel act for femme fatale's, or what I like to call 'male butt-kicking heroes'. The women are the focal point, with their lively personalities and feisty temperaments, leaving room for the one man. Tarantino supplies the gaff only he can do so well. The final act of each tale without a doubt syphons Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. Death Proof is for the anarchistic, and say no to the traditional ways of cinema going.

Tom Hanks is an incredible actor. He never ceases to amaze his audience. He's truly alone in over two-thirds of Cast Away. Chuck (Hanks) is a Fed-Ex manager who ends up stranded on a small island after the plane crashes that he's aboard. Much hardship and toil follow, as Chuck tackles with the forces of nature. There are no stand-out scenes, no music, no non-diagetic sounds, only Hanks and the materials he can use around him. It's a absolutely phenomenal performance, sorrowful and weirdly joyful, with Hanks at his best when he's alone. His single friend, Wilson (a football), almost resonates human emotion through Hanks' communication with him. Robert Zemeckis has done well with relying on their solitary performer.

Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) is sat on a bench waiting for a bus. He's hardly the most intelligent person in the world, but he's definitely the most caring, heart-warming and relatable character to ever appear in film. Gump tells his story to other bus-waiters who come and go and only hear snippets of the whole tale. The path towards present day is packed full of events and achievements, some of which include the Vietnam war, meeting the President (twice), unveiling the Watergate Scandal and running non- stop for over four years. Sounds ludicrous. Above all else Gump has accomplished feats that would occur over many lifetimes. Tom Hanks though, fills Gump's story with tenacity. He has an eventful life, one full of ups and downs. Very sad, but very humorous. A great film controlled by its lead man.

Vol. 2, Tarantino's fifth film, follows Uma Thurman's ass-kicking Bride on her revenge mission. Two members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad are down, two (and Bill) to go. Where Vol. 1 was a homage to Asian cinema, Vol. 2 is one to western films of old. Character story is chosen above the action this time, as 'The Bride', gets closer to who main target. Uma Thurman is outstanding. Routing for her until the very end is no issue, no matter the cost or the conclusion. Vol. 2 wraps up this very thick plot ('and so the plot thickens', says Bill) beautifully. It's not easy for The Bride. The harder it is for, the better it is for our viewing pleasure. Tarantino is hit his peak, slapping us in the face with slick music, quick edits and less dialogue than what we're use to.

Films number four and five of Quentin Tarantino's, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 are his most racy and daring, and easily my favourites. It's a revenge story at its greatest; Uma Thurman's The Bride (her real name's undisclosed for reasons unexplained) has a list, to kill those who've done her severe harm, starting with the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (who she was a part of), and finishing with their leader, Bill. Nothing will stand in The Bride's way, not even a mother's love for her daughter or hordes of the Yakuza. Blood is shed (lots of it), many lives are lost, all for our entertainment. The story is delivered with panache. Every character is phenomenal, Thurman's being the only we can (and want) to relate to. Vol. 1 is also a homage to Asian martial arts films. It's dark humour and outrageous gore takes the edge off what could be a serious film. Vol. 2, on the other hand, takes a different turn.

I'm not sure what to make of The D Train. It's disjointed, senseless and convoluted, but underneath the surface is drama with realistic characters making foolish decisions. Dan (Black) wants to be popular among his alumni peers. His idea of hiring hot shot Oliver Lawless (Marsden) will improve the 'class of 94's' reunion headcount. How he does it though, is both intriguing and bewildering. Dan lies his way through the film. The deeper he goes with his dishonesty, the harder The D Train is to watch. What starts as a man on an immoral mission, ends as a complete infatuation with one person's attention and approval. It's an awkward watch. I never felt truly settled knowing Jack Black's character had to come clean sooner or later.